


climb a bird's nest soon

by dawnishere



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: F/M, I know nothing about working backstage in a theatrical production, I was a techie for a semester my freshman year of high school which was Many years ago, M/M, Pre-Slash, Theatre AU, This was entirely self-indulgent, romeo and juliet - Freeform, sort of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-02
Updated: 2017-07-02
Packaged: 2018-11-22 07:32:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11375520
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dawnishere/pseuds/dawnishere
Summary: Fetch a ladder, by the which your loveMust climb a bird’s nest soon when it is dark.Feat. background!Shallura





	climb a bird's nest soon

“I can’t believe I agreed to do this,” Keith grumbled as he propped up his chin on his hand. Hunk, who was looking rather blurry from the stage level, shrugged. Or wiggled. It was hard to tell. Keith was finding it harder to see than usual, and it didn’t help that he forgot his glasses back at the apartment in addition to running out of contacts. It truly was a miracle he got to the theater uninjured at all. 

 

“Should you start or should I?” Hunk asked, twisting his pinky in his ear idly.

 

“I still don’t get why we have to say the lines too,” Keith frowned in confusion. “We’re just testing the durability of the set; what does saying the lines have to do with anything?”

 

“Lance said it would make it more real?” Hunk looked confused now too. “Honestly, I didn’t get it, but this is way better than third-wheeling with Shiro and Allura in the costume closet. You can only take so much of them gazing lovingly into each other’s eyes before you start losing it.” 

 

Keith shuddered in sympathy. “They really don’t know the meaning of the word ‘subtle’, huh?”

 

“I think they make the barest of efforts so they can keep Coran off their backs. You know how protective he is of Allura.” Hunk nodded sagely. “Almost as protective as you over your knives.”

 

“Hey! They’re antiques!” Keith huffed, but he was smiling anyway. 

 

“Puh-lease, the oldest thing you’ve got in your apartment is that pizza box from when you first moved in; it’s definitely not one of your knives.”

 

“I can’t put up with this kind of—of slander any more. Just say the lines, Hunk. The sooner we get through this, the sooner we can get out of here for the day.”

 

“Okay, okay. Right,” Hunk took a deep breath. “Balcony scene.” Keith raised an eyebrow at him expectantly. “I...don’t remember the words.”

 

“I guess I’ll have to start.” Keith gripped the plaster banister of the balcony they’d built. It was cool and dry, a stark difference from his own sweaty palms. It was unusually hot today in the theater, but Keith didn’t think much of it; it was probably just because there were more people working backstage than usual. 

 

Lion Castle Theatre was putting on its first annual summer production of Romeo and Juliet and they had a month and a half before opening night. It was somewhat late to be checking the integrity of the sets but Keith and Hunk had already finished their primary work before asking if anyone else needed help with theirs. Lance, that bastard, had eagerly taken advantage of Hunk’s generosity (and Keith’s Hunk-habit of being attached at the hip) in order to force them into this silly farce of an assignment. It was at times like these that he really questioned his position as assistant stage manager and Coran’s decision to give him the position. Thinking of Lance made him angry all over again.

 

“And another thing—“

 

“Keith, if you don’t start now, we’re going to be here past lunch. Do you want to be here during lunch? I don’t. Who wants to miss lunch for work? Okay, even if it is work I enjoy…no! I don’t want to skip lunch, especially not since I made a really—“

 

“Geez! Okay, chill, I’m starting, I just needed to look up the words for ‘authenticity,’” he said, holding up his phone for a brief moment. Keith took a deep breath. Why was he so nervous? It was just some stupid play and some stupid lines. Why did he have to play Juliet anyway? “My ears have not yet drunk a hundred words of that tongue’s uttering, yet I know the sound. Art thou not Romeo, and a Montague?”

 

“Ehh, sounds a little flat. You could stand to sound happier to see me—err, hear me.”

 

Keith suppressed his irritation for once and tried the line again twice, to Hunk’s disapproval each time. The third time, he added a bit more despair to _“Art thou not Romeo, and a Montague?”_

 

“Hey, great job this time! I actually almost—“

 

“ _Hunk._ ” 

 

“Got it.” Hunk paused dramatically. “Oh Juliet, it’s me, Romeo. You’re like the sun, blah blah, time to climb up the tower like a _creep_.” Keith had to stifle a laugh that threatened to burst out of him. Hunk could be so irreverent of the classics sometimes. He would have a hard time finding another best friend like him in this lifetime. 

 

Hunk, true to his word, began to climb the castle wall, grabbing onto the ‘vines’ for leverage. He was more than halfway to the balcony ledge when Keith saw the exact moment Hunk realized they wouldn’t hold his weight. His face contorted into the universal expression of _‘I have misjudged this situation very badly’_ and there was an awful tearing sound as the vines separated from the rest of the balcony fixture. Keith shouted and reached out his hand to Hunk in a gesture that was a second too late. 

 

Hunk fell. A dull thud sounded as he hit the stage and a few dust bunnies became airborne from the disturbance.

 

It must have hurt, if the hollow moan from Hunk was any indicator. Keith was tempted to leap over the banister but he forced himself to calm down (minutely) and open the trapdoor that led backstage. He made it to Hunk’s side in a minute flat and immediately checked him for any obvious injuries. He could see him shaking and prayed to whatever deity there was that he wasn’t crying. Crying people were as far from Keith’s forte as you could get. 

 

The source was revealed quickly though as Hunk wiped a few tears from his eyes and continued laughing. “I can’t believe I actually fell! That was such a sitcom moment!” Keith found his worry melting away until he let out a few chuckles too, which soon led to full-blown gut-busting laughter. 

 

“I can’t believe that kinda thing actually happens in real life! And to you! Oh my god, you should have seen your face,” Keith cracked up. Hunk sat up slowly, but his laughing wasn’t deterred. He'd laughed so hard, his brown cheeks were spotched red from exertion.

 

“My face? You should have seen yours! You looked like you were going to jump off the balcony right after me,” Hunk wiped a tear from the corner of his eye. Keith’s own chuckles tapered off slowly, and he watched his friend stand up and brush dust off his clothes. 

 

“Bro, I would have,” Keith admitted, earning a soft smile from Hunk, who patted him firmly on the shoulder. His large hand curled over Keith’s shoulder and rested there a moment, warm and reassuring.

 

“I know.”

 

They would have stood there smiling at each other for gods knew how long if Shiro hadn’t asked for their help transporting a delivery from the back alley.  
__

 

Later on, Lance will tell Hunk and Keith nonchalantly: “Oh hey, Hunk, did you know there’s actually no scene in the play where Romeo climbs up Juliet’s balcony?” 

 

_“You’ve gotta be kidding me. Hunk could have been seriously hurt!”_

**Author's Note:**

> There's no point in R&J where Romeo is actually described as climbing onto Juliet's balcony, even though it's in basically every film version. Original stage directions are a wealth of information, yo. Sorry if this is a bit incoherent and makes zero sense. I know none of this would actually happen, it's very self-indulgent that way. I needed a balcony scene so I wrote one for myself lmao // Thanks for reading!
> 
>  
> 
> Bonus:
> 
>  _I cannot believe we got roped into this, again._ Keith was struggling.
> 
> “Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair.”
> 
> “Nooo, you’re too flat, you gotta say it like there’s nothing you want more in the world than for Rapunzel to let her hair down.”
> 
> “Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair.”
> 
> “Now you just sound dead. Why don’t you—“
> 
> “Why do we even have to do this?” Keith scowled. He gestured angrily at the tower where Hunk was perched delicately. The space at the top clearly wasn’t built with his wide frame in mind, and the man sat his knees to his chest. “We’re not even the actors! _Ugh, I hate Lance._ ” 
> 
> Hunk put a knuckle to his chin in thought. “Well, someone needs to check the weight-bearing capabilities of the set, and you’re the closest in build to the dude who plays Prince Charming.”
> 
> “And you?”
> 
> Hunk smiled, and warmth bloomed in Keith’s chest. Like a gunshot wound, but less painful. “Me? I’m just here to look pretty, my dude.”
> 
> “At least one of us is doing their job right, then,” Keith cracked, a tiny smile curving his mouth. 
> 
> “Aw, thanks—did you call me pretty?” 
> 
> “You must be hearing things.” Keith’s pale face was bright red from his embarrassment.
> 
> “But I could have sworn—“
> 
> “Let’s get back to work!”


End file.
